Seaside Inspiration

Local jewelry designer KRISTIN WOOD has been designing jewelry for many years, and her latest jewelry brand, called Local Summer Jewelry, gives customers a chance to wear a beautiful piece of summer and the beach year-round.

Wood launched Local Summer Jewelry in 2025. Its jewelry features elements such as freshwater pearls, mother-of-pearl, waterproof metals, shells found along the beach, 14k gold-filled metals, and cast pendants with designs inspired by sea animals.

“This collection is inspired by my life growing up and living on the coast and raising our daughter by the ocean,” says Wood, who describes her style as “eclectic.”

“I love to make pieces that are simple enough for everyday wear yet have the ability to wear out at night or to an event,” she says. “I specialize in necklaces, which I love for their versatility.”

Wood said that since January she has been using a lot of physical vapor deposition (PVD) materials. PVD refers to a vacuum-coating method, which Wood says is “more environmentally sustainable than typical plating methods.”

She designs pieces using 14k-18k waterproof, tarnish-free, and hypoallergenic gold PVD.

“While the rising cost of gold was a challenge, pivoting to the PVD process allowed me to create affordable, high-quality pieces that people can wear while swimming and diving into summer without worry,” Wood says.

Her jewelry can be purchased online and in local boutiques such as Tusc and Coharie Coastal Boutique. Wood also says she enjoys connecting with customers by selling her jewelry at local markets such as Satellite Bar & Lounge’s Second Sunday Market and festivals such as Ocean Fest, where she says a portion of sales is donated to protecting the ocean.

“Meeting customers directly and explaining the durability of these newer metals is incredibly fulfilling,” Wood says.

She traces the beginning of her interest in jewelry design to promising feedback about jewelry she made for herself years ago. She was also inspired by jewelry she saw from countries around the world.

“My passion for jewelry design began when I couldn’t afford a piece I liked, so I made my own earrings,” she says. “The immediate interest from others encouraged me to start creating. I also draw inspiration from my late father, a documentary filmmaker who brought home beautiful jewelry from his world travels as a way to remember special moments.”

A native of the Morehead City/Atlantic Beach area, Wood moved to Wilmington in 2004 for a career in wine distribution. In 2010, she launched a fashion brand called He and Me, which focused on wrap-around scarves.

But after a severe car accident, which Wood says ended her career at the time, she began focusing solely on jewelry. “During my recovery, sketching and creating became a way to bring light into a dark time,” she recalls.

She launched Kopious Jewelry in 2012, a fashion jewelry brand Wood says featured “bold, bohemian statement pieces.” Wood’s jewelry from the Kopious brand was featured on Project Runway, in O, The Oprah Magazine, on runways, and in multiple local stores.

“Those experiences were wonderful and taught me a lot about what can happen when one faces adversity yet still goes after what they love,” she says.

Wood describes her current brand, Local Summer Jewelry, as a new beginning.

“Local Summer Jewelry is a fresh start, after a ten-year hiatus since our daughter, Savannah, was born in 2015. I took this break because my studio space became her nursery,” she says. “It was a challenge to stay organized without a dedicated creative space, but I’ve since built a new studio in our new home.”

Wood says she enjoys what she does.

“The most rewarding part is returning to my life as a maker and seeing people’s reactions to wearable art,” she says.

Wood said new collections will debut every March and September.

Wood is the designer of this year’s WILMA awards bracelet, which will be unveiled at the Women to Watch Awards event. Each year, WILMA selects a local jewelry designer to design a bracelet for the award winners. Still under Kopious, Wood designed a bracelet that served as the award for winners in 2017.

“Designing for the Women to Watch awards was and is an incredible honor,” Wood says. “I feel a connection to any woman that goes after what they love with drive and determination. They are an inspiration to us all and are most certainly to be celebrated!”

To view more of photographer Terah Hoobler’s work, go to terahhoobler.com.

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